Friday 30 April 2010

Photoshoot












I conducted a photoshoot of my (very obliging!) friend to illustrate the different approaches that a high street brand, such as Ann Summers, and an upmarket brand, such as Agent Provocateur, would take in their advertising campaigns. I had done one test-shoot with her previously, and so this time felt a lot more confident. It was lots of exhausting fun, and I'm really pleased with the shots!

During the shoot my model described how she felt like an object but also felt a sense of empowerment, perhaps this was due to my re-assuring comments of how amazing I thought she looked!

Above are a few examples of my work............... (Can you tell which ones are in each category?!)

Questionnaires/Focus Group


Compiling the primary research throughout this project has proven to be quite tricky. Having distributed well over 100 questionnaires, and only receiving 48 back... I'm sure you can see how disappointing this was. The questionnaires were very short and straightforward so I can only assume it was the subject matter that was bringing down the response rate. This shows to me that perhaps sex and sexual adventure is still somewhat of a taboo subject which people are still embarrassed to talk about... I was also wary of who I sent it to, thus reinforcing this point! Luckily I feel that I have compensated for this in the other research I have done!

The focus group also proved challenging as I was unwell for the first time I'd planned to do it. The rearranged time was later into my research, and one of the participants was unable to attend as she was stuck abroad due to the Iceland Volcano mishap! The findings of this focus group contradicted most of what I had previously researched, so this shook me up to a certain extent! But then I also thought that perhaps the girls did not reveal their honest thoughts entirely as I was asking for their opinions on what is arguably soft-porn... in which case they may have been embarrassed to admit their true feelings about it.

These hiccups along the way have prepared me for the future in that I now know how much organisation and dedication is needed to succeed with such tasks! Particularly when you are relying on other people......

John Stoddart @ Coco de Mer




LOVE AND LUST

This exhibition was held at the South Kensington store, and featured explicit photographs exploring the art of female seduction...
The pictures were a spectacle in themselves, although the real fascination lies in the fact that these artworks by established artist John Stoddart are being exhibited in a space that is ultimately a retail store. This shows how much Coco de Mer relies on its association with art to create a strong brand image which is helping to redefine porn as classy and desirable. Stoddart's work has featured both in Vanity Fair and Loaded Magazines! This is a further demonstration of how pornography is re-interpreted depending on where it is accessed...